Used factory Ceramic Brake question.
01-28-2019, 08:53 PM
#1
Instructor
Thread Starter
Used factory Ceramic Brake question.
I have a 2011 Z06 Carbon and I am about to switch over to AP racing iron brakes from the Ceramics due to high consumable cost once I start tracking the car in April. The car has 7400 miles and no track days. If I where to attempt to sell the factory ceramics (all 4 wheels), what would be a fair price for both parties?
I would love to fund a couple other upgrades but if it doesn’t make sense I will just use them up or put them on the shelf then swap to the irons. Any feed back is appreciated.
Brad
I would love to fund a couple other upgrades but if it doesn’t make sense I will just use them up or put them on the shelf then swap to the irons. Any feed back is appreciated.
Brad
01-28-2019, 10:10 PM
#2
Thick Member
I love the carbon ceramics on the track, you may want to try them before you sell them. There is a reason supercars use them, its evident once you use them at the track they are incredible and worth the money IMHO. I know replacing them is a hard pill to swallow but its something I'll gladly do when the time comes.
01-28-2019, 10:25 PM
#3
Instructor
Thread Starter
I love the carbon ceramics on the track, you may want to try them before you sell them. There is a reason supercars use them, its evident once you use them at the track they are incredible and worth the money IMHO. I know replacing them is a hard pill to swallow but its something I'll gladly do when the time comes.
My thought is for the cost difference in rotors ($400 for iron and $1200 for ceramic per rotor) I could afford to do a couple extra track days a year.
Brad
01-28-2019, 10:40 PM
#4
Thick Member
I'm probably not the best here to give you the life span answers. I've only had the car two years and got out on the track for four days so mine don't show any wear yet.
01-29-2019, 09:28 AM
#5
Drifting
I've read from others here on this forum that even the C6 ceramic brakes from the ZR1 don't hold up very well on the track. They look cool and regardless as to how well they may or may not hold up on the track, they are very expensive. I wouldn't mind running the larger calipers on steel rotors but I'm not certain what all that would entail.
Last edited by BigVette427; 01-29-2019 at 09:38 AM.
01-30-2019, 05:51 PM
#6
Drifting
The value of used ceramics would have a number of factors involved in them. First off, you would have to weigh them and see how close you are to the minimal grams...as I'm sure that the prospective buyer would absolutely require that.
2nd and more importantly, if I were buying used ceramics, I'd want to have them thrown on a tire balancer to see how close they are to balanced. As has been no secret around here, the ZR1 got a bad rap (and still does at times) for being shipped with ceramics that were so far out of balance that the car will shake at speeds of 70-85 or so. If you've got one that's out of balance, it's value tanks almost immediately. Unlike irons, you can't just simply grind them down to balance out. That's not to say that an out-of-balance ceramic has no value, as the wheels can always be indexed to offset the weight...but if it were me buying, i'd have to be VERY well compensated for that aggravation. It's not a particularly quick process and has to be repeated anytime you change rims or tires.
If all of that checks out and you've got at least 1/2 the weight-life left on them, I see no reason you wouldn't be able to get a good $600-800 per rotor out of them. New can be had at about $1200 per axle, so you could plan accordingly.
If I were in your situation, honestly, I'd just enjoy them and use them until they are out of spec THEN would weigh my options on buying more or then swapping to irons. Give them a shot...I think you'll find the consistency, performance and lack of brake fade to make the decision tougher than you think.
2nd and more importantly, if I were buying used ceramics, I'd want to have them thrown on a tire balancer to see how close they are to balanced. As has been no secret around here, the ZR1 got a bad rap (and still does at times) for being shipped with ceramics that were so far out of balance that the car will shake at speeds of 70-85 or so. If you've got one that's out of balance, it's value tanks almost immediately. Unlike irons, you can't just simply grind them down to balance out. That's not to say that an out-of-balance ceramic has no value, as the wheels can always be indexed to offset the weight...but if it were me buying, i'd have to be VERY well compensated for that aggravation. It's not a particularly quick process and has to be repeated anytime you change rims or tires.
If all of that checks out and you've got at least 1/2 the weight-life left on them, I see no reason you wouldn't be able to get a good $600-800 per rotor out of them. New can be had at about $1200 per axle, so you could plan accordingly.
If I were in your situation, honestly, I'd just enjoy them and use them until they are out of spec THEN would weigh my options on buying more or then swapping to irons. Give them a shot...I think you'll find the consistency, performance and lack of brake fade to make the decision tougher than you think.